Kingsbridge

Council tax is set to rise by 4.49 per cent in the South Hams as the district council tackles a £750,000 budget deficit.

The increase in the district means the bill for an average Band D property in the South Hams will be £1,440 for 2008/09.

Cllr John Tucker, leader of South Hams District Council (SHDC), said: "I am delighted to be able to present a budget requiring a rise of just 11p per week in council tax.

"This budget is a result of extensive consultation with all Members of this Council as well as local businesses, residents and Town and Parish Councils. There have been tough choices to make and every element of this budget has been constructed with the interests of the people of the South Hams in mind.

"The next year will hold many challenges for South Hams District Council and despite receiving a meagre increase in grant from the Government, the council is being asked to do a lot more. In 'real terms' this is a cut in Government support for the South Hams.

"Despite the many challenges, I am confident that a rise in council tax of just £5.62 per year will help the council deliver good quality, value for money services, whilst still keeping our council tax substantially lower than the national average for district councils."

Of the overall council tax bill, Devon County Council receives 74 per cent of it, followed by the Devon and Cornwall Police Authority (10 per cent), SHDC (9 per cent), Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority (5 per cent) and town and parish councils (2 per cent).

The SHDC charges the third-lowest council tax of district councils in Devon and Cornwall.

This year's bill is about £20 lower than the national average for district councils.

Council tax bills in the district have soared by a whopping 122 per cent in the last 10 years. In 1997/98, the average bill for a Band D home was just £622.